"We want Instagram to be a place for all of your moments, and private sharing with close friends is an important part of that", Hemal Shah, an Instagram product manager, told The Verge's Casey Newton.

Direct, at its core, is Facebook's attempt to excise direct messaging from the core Instagram experience.

Google Maps users in India now get motorcyle mode
Google will eventually sort out all the issues, and in the meantime, try out the new "Two Wheeler Mode" for yourself. If you're in India and want to try out the new two-wheeler mode, hit the button below and update your app.

According to a new report from The Verge, the Facebook-owned company today confirmed it is testing Direct, "a camera-first app that connects seamlessly back to Instagram", in six countries - Turkey, Italy, Israel, Portugal, Chile, and Uruguay. Direct also ships with four exclusive filters and is ultimately seeking to grow its user base even more by providing people with a more focused experience, albeit one that's still deeply integrated into Instagram.

Just like Facebook siloed Messenger as a separate app in 2014, Instagram is now testing a standalone messaging app in smaller markets outside of the United States. You can take a photo or video with the front and rear cameras, apply face filters and masks, and even write text. The firm has yet to officially announce the test and the reasoning behind it, though its motivation is likely similar to that Facebook had for spinning off Messenger, with the Menlo Park-based company previously claiming it made a decision to split the omnipresent social media service into two so that it's able to simultaneously focus on delivering a premium messaging and social media experience. Never mind others but Facebook itself right now has Messenger as well as WhatsApp and now we have Direct.

This test sounds a lot like what Facebook did with Messenger over the last few years. But it remains to be seen if the launch of Direct will rile up Instagram users the same way.

Related News:

The "Hour of Code", which coincides with Computer Science Week, takes place during the first week of December each year. Also this week the girls are encouraged to post what they're learning about on social media using #girlsintechkc.

Taggart had only been at OR for one year after leaving USF, so he's part of a lot of coaching turnover in the state of Florida. Why hire someone who has a sub.500 career record at 47-50? How does this coaching change impact the Las Vegas Bowl. .

Instead of marching out behind of the Russian flag during the opening ceremonies, they will march behind the Olympic flag. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko was also banned from any future participation at the Olympic Games.

The victor of that election will serve until 2020, when he or she would decide whether to run again for a new six-year term. Al Franken , D-Minn., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday morning, December 7, 2017.

Smith also suffered a season-ending injury late a year ago , but the team feels more comfortable in their depth this time around. He has been dealing with an Achilles injury for most of the season and rested it by practicing only once or twice a week.

Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer access to an open website. While Echo Show owners will stop seeing YouTube today, Fire TV users will lose support on January 1.

The Barcelona legend, 30, called time on playing for the national side after they lost in the 2016 Copa America final to Chile. Lionel Messi turned down an offer of a €100million (£88m) signing bonus from Manchester City to pen a new deal at Barcelona .

On the other hand, if you use your credit card for the transaction, your card will be charged 3 percent per transaction. Although it's only available to some users, for now, Apple promised to roll it out to all iPhone users this week.

Trump also said the United States would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem , though he set no timetable for that. There was no initial claim of responsibility from any militant groups in the Gaza Strip for the launchings.

The new flagship is just as capable as the Huawei Mate 10 but for less money, and it's the most ambitious Honor smartphone so far. The battery at 3,750mAh is decent and then there is the proprietary 5V / 4.5A fast charge using USB type C is on board as well.

Cinematographer Thomas Newton Sigel stepped in and directed a few days' worth of shooting while Singer mysteriously vanished. One source told THR Singer is claiming he's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder because of tension on the set.

Most liked

John Travolta Says "Gotti" Wasn't Dropped
HBO released Gotti: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Mafia Don in 1996 starring Armand Assante as the crime boss. Travolta then revealed that Lionsgate said "no" twice but eventually let it go after he begged them.

2017-18 Flu Season Is Looking Like a Bad One
Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Oklahoma reported widespread activity during the week ended November 25, the report stated . As Christmas approaches, health officials are warning Oklahomans that the flu is spreading across the state.

Pope Francis is pushing to change the 'Lord's Prayer'
Pope Francis says he can not remain silent about a White House plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. He appealed "that eveyrone respects the status quo of the city", according to United Nations resolutions.

The First Photos From 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix' Are Hot & Intense
We are getting our first look at Dark Phoenix , which includes our very first peek at Jessica Chastain's villainous character. The cover features a good look at what Sophie Turner will look like when she's possessed by the Phoenix Force in the film.

Dem plans to force House floor vote on impeaching Trump
Republicans are expected to offer a motion to table the resolution later Wednesday, effectively killing Green's resolution. Many Democrats joined the Republican majority in voting, 364-58, to table the resolution from Mr.

Trump calls on Saudi Arabia to lift Yemen blockade
Earlier in the day, Yemen's Interior Ministry issued a statement confirming the death of Saleh during clashes in capital Sana'a. I've got numbers of senators coming up to me often with concerns about how Saudi is dealing with humanitarian concerns in Yemen.

Messenger Kids, new Facebook app for children
Children can send photos, videos or text messages to parent-approved friends and adult relatives. The child would not be given their own Facebook account, which is prohibited for those under 13.

Destiny 2 is now Xbox One X Enhanced with 4K and HDR
Curse of Osiris continues your Guardian's journey with all-new story missions and adventures set in a new destination, Mercury. For those hoping for a new Raid, you are in luck as the expansion adds the game's first Riad Lair, Eater of Worlds.

Step Inside the World's Largest Starbucks Location
Revenue from the Asia-Pacific region accounted for nearly 15 percent of Starbucks' revenue for the fiscal year ended in October. Sales in same-stores were up by 8% in China in the most recent quarter, in comparison to an increase globally of just 2%.